Post Secret
by krispieso
Summary: Rory sent a postcard with a secret on it just to get it off her chest. But what happens when someone else shares a similar secret... [AU and slightly OOC not too much though..oh,and it's a TRORY!]
1. Prologue: My Little Secret

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls nor Post Secret.  
SUMMARY: Rory sent a postcard with a secret on it just to get it off her chest. But what happens when someone else shares a similar secret. -AU and possibly OOC..and..Trory!-  
AUTHOR NOTE: Okay so here is a little story I thought of today when I had 5 hours in between my classes. Let me know if I should continue it or just leave it be. Be honest, I can take it. _

* * *

**-l Post Secret l-**

**Prologue: My Little Secret**

* * *

**  
**

Rory was in her dorm room sitting at the computer just surfing the Internet. The radio was playing that All American Rejects secret song.  
She remembered Lane telling her that there is actually a website that puts up postcards that people send in that have their secrets on it.  
Rory was curious so she decided to check it out so she went to the website.

She looked through the postcards. Some of them made her laugh because they were just so random. Others were sad and down right  
depressing. After browsing through the secrets she felt inspired to share one of her own secrets.

Rory took out a 4x6 index card and started on her design. She searched for a book and once she found it she did something she felt was sac religious,  
she ripped out a page. Rory glued the passage onto the index card. Next she got online and printed off a picture of Romeo and Juliet from the movie  
that was made in the late sixties. Before gluing it on she tore it in half separating Romeo and Juliet. She placed them on the opposite side of the short  
passage. Then she grabbed a marker and wrote,

_I often wonder about the boy who was supposed to be my Romeo.  
I haven't seen him since he left for military school years ago._

There. It really did help writing her secret out. She flipped the index card over, wrote the address she was sending it to, and then placed a stamp  
at the top right hand corner.

The next step was to mail it. She knew that no one would know she sent it, but just the thought of having a secret, that she hadn't even told her mom,  
out there for anyone to see was kind of scary.

She walked to the mail room holding on to the postcard for dear life. When she got to the mail box she pulled the blue handle and stared down the  
black abyss contemplating whether or not to actually send it. After a short conversation with herself and the fact that she had already placed a stamp  
on it she dropped her secret into the darkness. Rory let out a sigh of relief. She had done it. Her secret was out.

It had been about a week since Rory had mailed in her postcard. She found herself sitting at her computer again just surfing the Internet. She decided  
to check the post secret website to see if her postcard made it on. She scrolled through the secrets and soon found hers. She smiled.

It now was a month since Rory let her secret out. She would check the website every now and then looking at other peoples' secrets. One day as she  
was scrolling through the website she saw one that caught her attention. The postcard and two unused PJ Harvey tickets on them from 2001 and said,

_Mary, I often wonder about you. Here are tickets to the concert you refused  
to go with me to. I don't blame you. And by the way military school was okay  
and I am doing fine. –The Romeo that was supposed to be there-_

The only words running through Rory's head were, Oh.my.God. She thought that this had to be some kind of freak coincidence. But just to make sure  
she grabbed another index card.What to write? What to write?

_I just read a secret addressed to Mary with concert tickets.  
I think it was about me. But my name is **NOT** Mary.  
Do I need to spell my name out for you again?_

She sent her card the next day and waited anxiously to see if it made on the website on Sunday. Sunday came by fast and she checked the sight hoping  
her card made it. Yes it did. Now she waited another week to see if there was another secret from 'Romeo.'

It was now two weeks after she sent her last card and she went to the website and scrolled through the website until there was a postcard that made her catch  
her breath. The card had these words on it.

_I always knew your name, I just preferred Mary. _

Okay so this could still be some coincidence, right? Who was she kidding of course this wasn't a coincidence. She looked at the card again and  
saw at the bottom of it there was small writing that said,

_Mary if you are still in CT look me up so we can stop wondering._

Okay that proves it wasn't a mere coincidence. Now the question was whether she should look up Tristan DuGrey or not. She started to panic  
a little bit. She only sent that card so she could get it off her chest. She didn't think that he would see it.

Rory called Lane to let her know what had happened thanks to the stupid website she had introduced her to. Somewhere in the conversation  
Lane convinced Rory to look Tristan up. Next thing she knew she was looking for the name DuGrey in a Hartford phone book. There were  
three people with the last name. There was an Alan, a Janlen, and a Tristan. She stared at his number for a while. To call or not to call, that  
is the question. After a five minute personal debate and a short pros and cons list she dialed his number praying for the answering machine.

"Hello?"

Crap, that's not an answering machine.

* * *


	2. No Hablo Inglés

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gilmore Girls nor do I own Post Secret.  
SUMMARY: Rory sent a postcard with a secret on it just to get it off her chest. But what happens when someone else shares a similar secret. -AU and possibly OOC..and it's a **Trory**!-  
AUTHOR NOTE: First of all, WOW, thanks for all the reviews! I never expected so many. You guys are awesome. It was also brought to my attention that I forgot a time frame so here we go...Rory is a Freshman at Yale so it is before the Dean affair and Logan.__ I hope that clears it up a little. Any more questions or things that need to be cleared up don't hesitate to ask. I had this done yesterday and forgot to post it. oops.  
_

* * *

**-l Post Secret l-**

**Chapter 1: No Hablo Inglés  
**

* * *

Pure terror had now set in. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in horror. It was talking to her. It wasn't supposed to be talking to her, it hadn't beeped yet. 

"Hello? Anybody there?" The male voice asked.

She was still staring at the phone in her hand. How do I get it to stop talking? Hang up, just hang up. She quickly pushed the end button and tossed the phone on her bed in shock. Rory began pacing back in forth occasionally glancing at the evil device sitting on the bed taunting her.

Doubt clouded her mind. What if it really wasn't Tristan who sent the postcards? I mean that would make her look like a complete idiot if she did call him and it turned out to be a fluke. She heard Lane's voice in her head. 'You'll never know if you don't call.'

Damn.

She picked the phone back up and hit the redial button. She bounced her head side to side to the beeps of the numbers being dialed again.

"Hello?"

Crap. She hung up again, thankful that her number was private.

As soon as she hung up her phone rang. She looked at her phone shaking her head in disbelief. Oh my God he found me. I can't talk to him. She soon sighed in relief when she looked at the caller ID and it said 'Mommy Dearest.' She answered the phone.

"Hey mom!"

"Hey kiddo, whatcha up to?"

"Oh nothing really," she lied. Well she only kind of lied.

"Well that sounds exhilarating."

"Oh it is. So what do you need?"

"I don't need anything. I just called to say hi to my favorite Yalie."

"What does grandma need?"

"Well…" Lorelai drug out. "She said instead of coming Friday for dinner that you need to come Saturday."

"Why Saturday? Wait, just me?"

"I tried to get you out of this, I swear. But you know Emily, persistent. I managed to wiggle my way out by saying there was a thing at the Inn and I had to be there for it. So it's just you. I tried, I really, really tried. It is a little get together with all of your grandfather's associates."

"Great," Rory said not amused.

"Oh no. I have to go. Sookie, crème Brule, and a torch."

"Eeks, bye mom."

She hung up with her mom and glanced at the computer screen. It was still on the secret. Man, I am not a coward, I am not a coward, Rory kept repeating to herself. She glanced at the phone again. I can do this, I can do this. She pushed redial again.

"Hello?"

I can't do this. She hung up again. That's it, I'm a coward.

What's the big deal? It's just Tristan, who I haven't spoke to or seen in years. That's not helping. After giving herself another pep talk and dialed the number again.

"Hello?" The voice sounded a little aggravated, great.

Pause.

"Okay who are you? You have called like three times and you just hang up?"

Rory said the first thing that came to her mind. "¿Puedo hablar con Jorge?" Smart, really smart.

"What? Listen I don't know a Jorge."

"Sorry. No hablo inglés." She hung up again. That didn't go as planned.

Rory tossed her phone down and decided she needed to get out of her dorm. She wandered around the Yale campus. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, the birds were singing, and Paris was standing in front of her. Wait. Paris?

"Gilmore. I see you finally dragged yourself away from that computer of yours."

"Hey Paris. Yah, I figured George and I needed to take a little break. He was getting a little too clingy."

"Why do you always name inanimate objects?"

"Because it is fun. You should do it."

"No thanks. Anyways, I was just about to get some lunch. Want to come?"

"Are you paying?" Rory joked.

"Yah right."

"I'm in. Lead the way to food."

The two friends walked into a little café and ordered some sandwiches and drinks. They talked about their classes, Paris' relationship problems, and Rory ever so cleverly brought up Chilton.

"Do you ever think about people from Chilton?" Well maybe it wasn't clever but it got the conversation started.

"Why?" Paris looked at Rory suspiciously. "What's on your mind?" That was Paris, blunt and straight to the point.

"No reason, I was just curious."

"Spill it Gilmore."

"There's nothing to spill. I mean the only person I kept in contact with was you; I mean I kinda had to though seeing how you are my roommate and all. But I was just curious that's all," Rory said while playing with her food. Okay, so maybe she couldn't casually bring it up without Paris suspecting something.

"Sure," Paris said disbelieving her but decided not drop the subject and not pry further.

Rory was back in her dorm studying when Lane called her. She had feeling that Lane was going to ask her how the phone call to Tristan went. She thought maybe she could beat around the bush a little, or then again maybe Lane won't ask.

"Hey Lane."

"Did you talk to him?" Lane asked anxiously.

Well there goes the last theory. It's time to beat around the bush. "Well, sorta."

"Sorta? What does sorta mean? You left a message?"

"Not exactly." That's it, keep being vague.

"Come on Rory out with it I'm dying here."

"Well," okay time to spill it, "I sort of hung up with him every time he answered."

"That's not talking to him."

"I did talk to him though, "she defended, "In Spanish asking if I could talk with Jorge."

"Jorge? Rory, Rory, Rory. What am I going to do with you?" Lane chuckled.

"I panicked. I mean who wouldn't right. It has been what 3, 4 years since I saw him let alone talked to him. Plus what if it is just some fluke and then I end up looking like an idiot."

"Okay first of all there is no way this can be a fluke so you won't look like an idiot. Seriously, Rory. And secondly he asked you to look him up. Why would he ask you to look him up if he didn't want you too?"

"To torture me," Rory said dramatically.

"I'm sure you're right, "Lane responded sarcastically. "You need to call him. I mean think about it, this would make a great story. Girl has a secret about a boy. A boy has a secret about a girl. They find out, they meet, they talk, and they fall in love. The grandkids will love it."

"Lane," Rory whined. "There will be no grandkids. I wasn't secretly pining over the guy. I was just wondering how he was."

"If that was the case you would have already called him by now."

"You suck."

"I know. But I'm right." Lane paused. "I'm hanging up now so you can call him."

"But Lane," Rory whined like a five year-old.

"Call him." Rory heard a dial tone after Lane muttered those last words.

She made up her mind, she would call him tomorrow, maybe.

* * *

_So what did you think? Good, bad, awful? Tell the truth...  
_


	3. Long Drop

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing...but I am going to ask Santa for Gilmore Girls this Christmas...so I am crossing my fingers. ;)  
SUMMARY: Rory sent a postcard with a secret on it just to get it off her chest. But what happens when someone else shares a similar secret. -AU and possibly OOC..and..Trory!-_

_ A/N: Once again thanks for all the reviews! Wow, they really make me smile. Finally got another chapter up and it is longer than my other ones too.  
_

* * *

**  
-l Post Secret l-**

**Chapter 2: Long Drop  
**

* * *

Rory sat on her bed flipping through her Chilton yearbook from sophomore year. She stared at his picture. She tried to picture how he would look now. She laughed out loud as she pictured him with a bald head and a beer gut. That would be amusing. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Don't people knock anymore? She quickly closed the yearbook and tossed it at the end of her bed and grabbed a nearby book and pretended to be reading. She glanced up and saw Paris looking at her with a questioning gaze. 

"What are you doing?" Paris asked suspiciously.

"What does it look like? Reading, duh."

Paris walked over to Rory's bed and picked up the yearbook and looked at it then back at Rory. "Who were you looking for?"

"No one." Crap, answered that a little too quickly. "I was just glancing through the pages, it brings back good memories." Not a good lie.

"No it doesn't. Okay Rory, who is it you want to know about?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb, it doesn't look suit you well. Yesterday, out of the blue you ask me if I keep in touch with anyone from Chilton, and now today you are looking through the yearbook. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know something is up."

"Fine. I was just thinking about Tristan DuGrey." She tried to say it casually.

"Why?" Paris had a semi-disgusted look on her face.

"I don't know. Don't you ever wonder how he is and what he has been up too since he went to military school?"

"Not really. I hear all the gossip from my mom."

Rory looked at Paris. She wanted to know more. "What kind of gossip?"

"Oh just the usual. School affairs, love affairs, business affairs, everything."

"Oh." Rory sounded a little disappointed for some reason.

"He goes to Harvard but I think they are on a break or something now so he is back in Connecticut for a little while."

"He's in Connecticut?"

"Yes, that's what I said isn't it?"

"It never hurts to double check. So what are your plans for the three day weekend?"

"My mom and I are going to Martha's Vineyard. Should be very dull. What about you?"

"I have this little party to go to at my grandparents on Saturday and the rest of the weekend I will be in Stars Hollow hanging out with my mom."

"Sounds just as fun as going to Martha's Vineyard." Paris said with no emotion.

"The party won't be fun but hanging out in Stars Hollow will be. There is a Founders Day festival going on, it should be highly entertaining."

"I bet. Well I have to go to another class that is a waste of my time. See you later."

"Bye."

The rest of the week consisted of going to classes, studying and reading. A very uneventful week.

What is that smell? It is horrible. Rory looked around trying to find the source of the sickening stench. There was an old man and he was eating what appeared to be throw-up. That had to be it. It's time to move, she couldn't concentrate with that smell. There should be a law about eating gross smelling food in public.

She found a new spot to read, far away from the old man and his smell. It was Saturday and she still hadn't called Tristan. Her first excuse was she didn't know what to say and her other one was she didn't know how he would respond. She had an idea what his caustic remark would be and she wasn't too thrilled about it. Why was she so interested in Tristan anyway? It's not like they were even friends in high school. She was just curious, that's all. Okay, so reading wasn't getting her mind off of him. Tolstoy was failing her right now. She gave up and walked back to her dorm to get ready to go over to her grandparents' house.

During the forty minutes it took her to get to Hartford, Rory had thought of about twenty excuses to leave early. But none of them were very realistic. When she finally got there she had no excuses. She was just going to have to stick it out and maybe hope for a mysterious case of food poisoning.

She got inside only to find Emily frantically walking through the house pointing out things that needed to be changed. It was either the curtains needed to be steamed or the candle sticks weren't the right color. Emily's next victims were the cooks. In the kitchen she was informing the cooks that the cream puffs had too much cream in them.

"There is too much cream in these cream puffs." The cooks just stared at her wide-eyed not knowing what to do.

"What do you want us to do? We can't make new ones now." A brave cook said.

"I don't know you are the chef. Suck the cream out with a syringe if you have to, just get the cream out." She snapped at the cook. She turned to Rory and asked, "Rory don't they have too much cream?"

"I don't think I would be a good judge grandma. I like my cream puffs creamy."

"I just don't want to be known as the hostess whose cream puffs were too creamy."

"I'm sure they are fine and I bet a lot of people like creamy cream puffs."

Just then someone was bringing a centerpiece by and Emily went off and followed the person complaining about how it should be arranged a different way, leaving Rory all by herself.

The guests had arrived and the party had gotten started. Every businessman Rory met had a grandson that would be perfect for her. She couldn't take it anymore. If she had to talk to another senile man she was going to blow her top off. She sought refuge on the balcony.

She wanted to find an escape route from the insanity. She contemplated jumping off the balcony but soon disregarded that thought when she saw how long the drop was. Maybe she could shimmy down the terrace. Again no can do in the dress she was wearing. But even if she was wearing sweats she wouldn't have done it either. She went over to the balcony ledge and stood on her tippy toes to lean over it. She almost fell over when she heard a voice say.

"It's a pretty big drop. I wouldn't advise it."

Great now someone thinks she is suicidal. As she turned she said, "I wasn't going to do, Tristan?" Yup, there he was standing right next to her. Of all the balconies in the house he chooses the one she is on. Then she realized what she had just said.

He hopped up on the balcony ledge and let his feet dangle. "I wish you would," he said with a smirk.

Rory was too shocked at his being there to respond to his comment so all she did was stare. At least she didn't have to call him now. He hadn't changed all that much. No beer gut or bald head, darn. Well his head was semi-bald, he had about a centimeter or two of peach fuzz on the top of his head. She was taken out of her trance when she heard him ask her a question.

"So Rory Gilmore, how have you been?"

"I've been good. I'm at Yale right now. Everything is good."

He chuckled. "That's good."

"How have you been? How was military school?"

"It wasn't too bad. Not at all what you would expect. Sure I had to get up early everyday and had a little five mile jog twice a week but really it wasn't bad. My classes were a breeze compared to Chilton."

"I don't know about you but a five mile jog is not little, it's crazy."

All he did was laugh. She still couldn't believe that he was there. Okay, this was an awkward silence. Wonder why he hasn't brought up post secret or something. Hah, maybe her theory was correct, it was all a fluke. Or maybe he just doesn't want to bring it up. Tristan was still sitting on the ledge watching Rory have her little personal conversation in her head. He looked amused. Rory's face was all scrunched up and looked confused. She kept looking at Tristan and then back over the balcony. He smiled; he could tell she wanted to ask him something.

"What?"

"Huh."

"What do you want to ask me?" Tristan asked.

"How do you know I want to ask you something?"

"Because you have this look on your face that says 'I want to ask you something'."

She thought if she just asked him about the postcards she would look crazy so she was trying to figure out a way to make her look less crazy, if that was possible. "Well, this might sound completely strange and you are probably going to think that I should be committed to the loony house or something but well, have you ever heard of or been to post secret?"

He kept smiling, "I think so."

"Okay." Rory thought of another question that would lead her to the answers she wanted. "Have you ever, well, sent in a secret before?"

"I believe I have." His smile got wider. "And to answer your next questions yes I saw yours about the Romeo and Juliet and yes I responded to it by writing one that had concert tickets on it."

She got the confirmation she needed. Now what? She felt kind of embarrassed for some reason. She shouldn't be embarrasses, right? "Well okay then, I am not totally insane."

"That's good to know. You know you could have just called me and it would have saved you from this little game of twenty questions. I think I wrote that if you are still in Connecticut to look me up and you are obviously still in Connecticut."

"I did call you a couple of times."

"I don't remember talking to you or getting any messages," he said with his brow scrunched in confusion.

"Oh I talked to you alright, does Jorge ring a bell?"

Tristan burst out in laughter. "You were the one that kept calling and hanging up?"

Rory was getting more embarrassed, "Yah, I didn't know what to say." He was still laughing. "I'm glad you find this so funny. I hope you fall off the ledge."

"Hey I wasn't the one leaning over it earlier debating whether or not to jump over."

"I wasn't going to jump. I was just looking at my possible escape routes."

Tristan jumped off the ledge and stood next to Rory who was leaning against the balcony ledge. "These parties are a drag aren't they?"

"Especially when your grandparents are hosting it. I think I have twenty blind dates with my grandpa's associates' grandsons."

"You poor thing. What's a girl to do?" He teased.

"I can't help it that the boys just flock to me. I mean you obviously couldn't resist my charms since you are here now." She joked.

"Mary, Mary quite contrary."

Rory grimaced. "We aren't going back to that nickname are we?"

"What? You don't like it?" he asked in mock surprise.

"Oh no I love it. I mean it is every girls dream to be nicknamed after the Virgin Mary." She said sarcastically.

"I'm glad I could make your dream come true."

"You haven't changed a bit have you?"

"I like to think I am more mature," he said seriously but then added ,"Plus if you haven't noticed I have gotten much handsomer, which I think you have since you were definitely checking me out earlier. I mean look at these biceps." He flexed his arm and pointed to his bicep.

"Nope you haven't changed."

"And you wouldn't have it any other way."

"I don't know about that. I did kinda miss you when you left though. But that was after the party I threw because of your absence."

"I'm touched really. I guess I kinda missed you too."

Just then Richard came out to the balcony. "There you are Rory. Your grandma has been looking all over for you. She wants you to meet the Saunders. I think they have a grandson about your age, what a bright young man." Rory looked at Tristan with an 'I told you so' look. Richard then saw Tristan. "Oh I didn't realize you had company."

"Tristan DuGrey sir." Tristan extended his hand and Richard shook it.

"Ah, Janlen's grandson. I think we have met before."

"Yes I believe we have."

"What school are you going to?"

"Harvard sir."

"Ah, the enemy, I was a Yale man myself. But Harvard is a fine choice. What are you majoring in?"

"Political Science with a minor in History."

"Interesting. Well it was nice seeing you again but I think I see the Ed Johnson heading toward the piano and I must stop him." He then walked quickly away. "Ed! Why don't we grab you another drink over here."

"It looks like he likes me even when he is sober." Tristan smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself too much, he pretty much likes everybody," Rory joked.

"I will just have to believe that he likes me because I am an outstanding person then."

Silence.

"Well I guess I have to go and accumulate more blind dates. It was great seeing you again Tristan."

"You too." Rory started to walk back inside, "Hey Rory. Do you maybe want to get coffee together sometime?"

She turned around and smiled. "Yah, I'd like that."

* * *

_Honestly I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter. I mean I don't hate it, but I'm not sure if I love it either. I hope you guys like it though. Let me know what you think. _


	4. A Proper Goodbye

_DISCLAIMER: No matter how hard I try to believe I own Gilmore Girls I don't. ::sigh:: Please don't sue me.  
SUMMARY: Rory sent a postcard with a secret on it just to get it off her chest. But what happens when someone else shares a similar secret. -AU and possibly OOC..and..Trory!_

_A/N: So I finally got around to an update. Sorry for the long wait but this is the last chapter. I might do an epilogue but I'm not sure. But well here is the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy. And once again I was blown away with all the reviews! Thank you all very much.  
_

* * *

**-l Post Secret l-**

**Chapter 3: A Proper Goodbye  
**

* * *

**  
**

Rory walked into the coffee shop out of breath. She was already twenty minutes late, thanks to the car in front of her that decided to get into a fender bender. Stupid drivers. She hated being late, it made her flustered. She glanced around the café looking for any signs of Tristan. After about a minute of searching Rory found him sitting on a little couch reading the business section of the newspaper and she hurried over to him.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. First I couldn't find my keys, I know that's a lame excuse, but I really couldn't. I am thinking about investing in one of those things that you put on your key and you click the clicker and it beeps so you can find your keys. But I will probably lose the clicker so I guess that wouldn't really work. But anyway, then there was this accident right in front of me. I hate Connecticut drivers. I think they just hand out licenses to anybody these days. And then my cell died which is yet another lame excuse but it really did. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong today. I'm just glad it didn't rain ore anything because then…"

Tristan cut her off. "It's okay. I didn't mind waiting. Plus it gave me a chance to catch up with today's business world." He said pointing to the paper he had set down on the table during Rory's blabbering. "So do you want a coffee?"

"I don't want, I _need_ a hundred." Said in a desperate voice.

Tristan chuckled. "It's been one of those days?"

"That and I just love coffee."

"I would have never guessed. I'll be right back."

"I can go get my own." Rory started to head toward the counter until she felt two strong hands on her shoulders.

"I did the inviting I do the buying." He turned her around to the direction of the chairs. "Why don't you sit down and take a breather."

She took his advice and sat in the chair next to where he was previously sitting and picked up the newspaper. She started aimlessly flipping through it just to give her something to occupy herself with while Tristan was getting her coffee.

"Here you go, one hot cup of Joe." He handed the cup to Rory and she reached frantically for it.

"Thank you, thank you. You are a god."

"I know." He paused. "So what have you been up too?"

"Well you know I am attending Yale and my major is journalism with a minor in political science. My roommate is Paris, I'm not sure if I told you that or not, that's always an adventure. Umm, there really isn't a whole lot going on right now. For Senior year I was talked into running for vice president. Paris can be quite the pursuer. I was also valedictorian. But Yale so far has been fine. It's hard, but nothing that I didn't expect. How about you? I want to know all about military school. I see you kept up with the fashion," she said pointing to his closely cut hair. "And I want to know about Harvard. Do you like it there?"

"Well I guess I will start off where we left off. After I left Chilton the night of the play I went straight to the airport and boarded a plane headed toward North Carolina. I haven't really talked to my dad since, I hated him for sending me away. Once I got settled in it wasn't all that bad. Actually it was refreshing."

"Refreshing? Military School? Ha." Rory said in disbelief.

"Well it was. No one knew who I was. I wasn't expected to keep up my rich kid act. I was just like everyone else. But that's not to say I didn't try to defy authority first but I soon learned my place. I also learned that even though you may be born into money you aren't born into rank. You have to earn it. So I guess it did me good after all."

"Wow. That was one thing I never expected to come out of your mouth. How very grown up of you." She joked.

Tristan copied her tone. "Yah I'm a big boy now. But all jokes aside I got good grades and applied to all the Ivy League schools except Columbia."

"Why not Columbia?"

"Because that's were my father went. I knew my not going there would upset him and pissing him off was one of my top priorities. Plus I thought I was going t o see your pretty face at Harvard." He added more playfully. "So how did you end up at Yale. Last I remember you were deadest on Harvard."

"Well that was originally the plan but as senior year started dwindling away I made a pros and cons list and Yale had the most pros. I don't think I could live that far away from my mom."

"You must have a great relationship with her."

"I do. She's my best friend."

"So you marry Beaver yet?"

"Huh?" She was confused.

"Beaver, bag boy, that boyfriend of yours. When I left you two seemed to be headed toward wedding bells."

"Dean? Oh no, no, no. We broke up a while ago. He is actually getting married to the girlfriend he had after me."

"So did he cheat on you or something?"

"Well no, I guess you could say I was the one doing the cheating."

"Really?" He gave his infamous archaic smirk. "What happened to the sweet innocent Rory I once knew?"

"She is still here and wipe that grin off your face. Dean and I just didn't work out and when Jess came to town I don't know I kinda cheated on Dean with him. But we ended up getting together after Dean broke it off with me, rather publicly I might add."

"You can't _kinda_ cheat. You either cheat or you don't cheat."

"Whatever and yes you can."

"So are you still together with your partner in crime?"

"Ummm." She looked down not really wanting to talk about it, "no he just left one day without saying goodbye and flew out to California."

"What a jerk."

"I mean I guess it all worked out for the best. He and I were going down separate paths. So what about you? Is there a lucky lady?" She added wanting to change to subject.

"Nope. There was but we broke it off just before college. She was headed to UCLA to become the next Julia Roberts and I was headed to Harvard to be the next great American businessman. But you'll be surprised to know we dated for two years."

"Surprised? I'm completely blown away. She must have been some girl to have the infamous playboy go steady."

"Yah, I guess she was."

"You have really grown up Tristan. I know I said it before but you really have." Rory said seriously.

"Why thank you Mary. Your opinion means a lot to me. Really. So how is that crazy town of yours?"

"Oh my, it's just as crazy as ever. But I love it." She started to laugh. "You should have been there yesterday at the Founder's Day festival. The town mayor, Taylor. Hey that rhymed."

"You are just a rhyming machine."

"And you are clean."

"Okay stop."

"Would you like a pop?" Rory had a big smile on her face.

"No, but I would like an orange." There was silence. "I see I have stumped you with that last one."

"Shh. I will find a word that rhymes with it even if it is a slant rhyme."

Tristan pointed at her and said rather loudly, "Oh you stopped the rhyming madness."

"You suck You said orange because it doesn't have any words that rhyme." She pouted.

"My evil plan has been revealed."

"Great now I forgot what I as talking about. Oh yah Taylor the mayor." Rory smiled and Tristan gave her a pleading look. "So _anyway_ Taylor tells Kirk to put up a banner for the festival and to hang it from these two light poles. Well Kirk went and rented a cherry picker insisting that he knew how to work it."

"Let me guess he had no clue how to use it."

"Hush let me tell my story. So as I was saying…He had no clue how to use it. So he's all jerky hanging the banner and once he put the last side up he started wobbling more and the cherry picker kept shaking and he loses his balance and falls over grabbing onto the banner tearing it off. Luckily the banner slowed his falling down a little bit. He ended up breaking his leg. But you should have seen Taylor's face. He ran to the crumbled banner, picked it up and cradled it then started yelling at Kirk, who is in pain mind you, and he's almost to the point of tears. I just about died of laughter. It was quite a scene." Tristan watched Rory's facial expressions. She was really into telling her story and it made him smile at how cute it was.

"I bet. This Kirk fellow sounds like a real character."

"That he is. He is always doing something crazy and entertaining."

"It must be nice living in a small town."

"It is. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else."

"Okay, so I have to ask you something that I have been rather curious about."

"Ask away.".

"That secret you posted. Why did you write it?"

She blushed. "Um, well it was just something that had been bothering me. I just kept wondering how you were and what happened to you." Rory tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She always did that when she was nervous. "You left rather abruptly. I know we didn't have the perfect friendship, if you can even call it that, but I missed you when you left. I mean there was no one teasing me at my locker everyday, I had no one bothering me, well besides Paris. But there was a good thing that came out of your leaving. I was no longer called Mary."

"I'm touched really I am." She slapped him playfully

"Stop it, Well what possessed you to write one huh?"

"When I was perusing the website one day I saw your secret. And I thought of you instantly and I then I thought you had to be the person who wrote it. I didn't think there was another Romeo who jilted his Juliet to go to military school I mean it would have to be a one in a million chance. So I just thought I would see if it was you. So I wrote one hoping you went to the site a lot and that you would see it. I guess you could say I missed you too. Plus I felt bad leaving you with no Romeo."

"Oh I had a Romeo and it wasn't Brad."

"Who was it?"

"Paris! When you left she came out all decked in your costume with altoids in her hand." Tristan had an interested look on his face. "Don't give me that look. I don't kiss and tell."

"Sorry I'm trying really hard not to laugh right now. I can tell this is still traumatizing to you." He joked.

"It is. My mom to this day still brings it up."

"I wish I could have been there to see that." Tristan started to laugh.

"Well if you were there you would be the one I was kissing, not Paris." There was a short pause as they looked at each other.

Tristan broke the silence with a little quip. "You sure aren't a Mary anymore. Cheating on boyfriends, kissing other girls, what am I going to do with you?"

"What?! I'm so still a Mary. Wait did I just call myself a Mary, the world is ending. What was up with that nickname anyway, why did you call me that? I mean I know it means goody-goody."

"I was a jerk back then. But I think the main reason was because I liked you."

"You did not," Rory said in disbelief.

"Oh yes I did. I was borderline obsessed. Everyone knew."

"I had no clue." She looked at him and then recollected a moment from the past. "Oh my gosh. I was the girl you said you liked when you didn't want to go out with Paris again."

"Ding Ding we have a winner."

"I can't believe I was so oblivious."

"I can. You were so tied up with your boyfriend."

"I guess you're right."

"But it's all good. Somehow I recovered from the unrequited love of Rory Gilmore."

There was an awkward silence.

"So when are you going back to Boston?"

"Tonight actually."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "I was hoping we could hang out tomorrow. So I guess that would be a no. When are you coming back?"

"Not until the next break."

"We will have to hang out then."

"It's a date."

Rory smiled and then glanced at her watch. "Holy cow. I can't believe it s already 4:45. We have been here for hours."

"Wow, yah." he replied looking down at his own watch. "I should get going. My flight leaves at 7:30 and you have to be there two hours early." They both stood up. "Well I guess this is goodbye."

"No. It's just see you later. It's not like you are going to military school again."

They walked out of the café and stopped in front of the door.

"See you later Rory."

She smiled. "See ya later alligator."

He turned around and started walking down the street. Rory watched as he strolled down the sidewalk. She let out a little sigh. Then something hit her. There was no way she was going to let him walk away again. She was going to do something about it, so Rory started running toward him. "Tristan! Wait!" He turned around just in time to have Rory collide into him engulfing him into a hug.

"Oooph." was Tristan's only reply as he hugged her back.

She looked up into his eyes. "My boyfriend isn't watching."

"What?" But before he had time to comprehend what she was saying she grabbed his face and kissed him.

When they pulled away Tristan had a huge smirk on his face. "What was that for?"

"I didn't want to let you go without properly saying goodbye." She said with a slight blush.

"Well that was one hell of a goodbye. I might not want to leave now."

"Call me when you get to Boston." She gave him a quick kiss and then walked to her car with a huge smile on her face. She glanced back at Tristan, who had the exact same smile on his face. This was not the last time she would see Tristan DuGrey.

* * *

_A/N: Well that's it. I just want to say sorry for the typos. I re-read it like ten times but I think I kinda rushed it a bit because I wanted to get it out. I don't think this chapter has as much humour as the other ones but I thought maybe it would be better if it was a little more serious. But I'm thinking about doing an epilogue. _


End file.
